KC Krazy Cubing Winter 2023

Eighty-one competitors converged on Kansas City, Missouri, USA on February 11, 2023, turning KC First Church of the Nazarene into a showcase of seasoned form and rapid hands. The single-day WCA competition delivered 12 intense rounds of speedcubing across six diverse events. Returning competitors arrived with sharp technical execution, testing their skills on everything from compact twisty puzzles to larger polyhedral hardware. The atmosphere rewarded those who knew how to pace themselves through multiple qualifying rounds, setting the stage for a day of commanding performances by established entrants.

Jake Maddox stood at the forefront of the field, demonstrating seasoned control across multiple disciplines. Maddox claimed the championship in the traditional 3x3x3 Cube, recording a decisive winning average of 9.41 seconds and securing the round single of 5.98 seconds. The final 3x3 results produced an exceptionally tight race at the top, with Joseph Park taking second place with an average of 9.46 seconds. Madalen Tanner rounded out the podium in third place with a mark of 10.62 seconds, concluding a thrilling 80-competitor main bracket on the classic Rubik's Cube.

Maddox doubled his gold medal tally in the 2x2x2 Cube, leading a 75-competitor field with a winning average of 2.88 seconds alongside a best single of 2.54 seconds. Kaden Christopher Dockins followed in second place with an average of 3.27 seconds, while James Marzluf claimed third place with a time of 3.85 seconds. Maddox was far from finished on the podium trail, later securing second place in both Megaminx and Pyraminx, as well as a third-place finish in Skewb, marking an extraordinarily productive run throughout the KC Krazy Cubing Winter 2023 program.

The Pyraminx final highlighted another masterclass in quick turning as Josiah Bell secured victory with a winning average of 3.43 seconds and a sharp 2.59 single across two rounds of 69 entrants. Maddox took the runner-up spot with an average of 4.54 seconds, while Connor Lyons locked in third place at 5.16 seconds. In Skewb, Canada representative Tarandeep Mittal took top honors with an average of 5.17 seconds and a best single of 4.06 seconds. James Marzluf took second place with a 5.60 average, edging Maddox who settled for third with 5.73.

Large-puzzle and non-standard twisty categories brought equally fierce execution to KC Krazy Cubing Winter 2023. In the 5x5x5 Cube, Lydia Workman took the title with a polished winning average of 1:07.94 and a best single of 1:05.75 against 40 competitors. Katie Hinkley secured second place in 1:14.30, followed by Madalen Tanner in third at 1:24.48. Hinkley promptly dominated the Megaminx event, capturing first place with a 54.82-second winning average and a 47.96 single. Maddox claimed second at 1:06.12, while Ilene Wang achieved third place in 1:16.57.

Away from the top steps of the podium, several competitors achieved remarkable milestones across their individual disciplines. Joben Nelson took on six events and delivered a huge breakthrough in Skewb, setting a personal best of 4.93 seconds, which was 54.1 percent faster than their previous best mark of 10.73, on the way to a fifth-place finish. Creighton Jensen notched a personal best in the 2x2x2 Cube of 2.71 seconds, improving by 49.8 percent, and logged a first ever attempt in the 5x5x5 Cube of 3:32.90. Cohen Shryock cut their 2x2x2 Cube best by 47.3 percent down to 4.04 seconds, while also trimming their Megaminx best by 41.7 percent to 2:19.61. Eliana Theobald improved their 2x2x2 Cube mark by 44.3 percent to 7.12 seconds and their Pyraminx best by 17.5 percent to 6.89 seconds.

Fresh hardware challenges also saw competitors stepping up into new territories across the weekend schedule. Carter Steenhard took on six events and earned a seventh-place finish in Megaminx with a first attempt of 1:38.02, while also posting first attempts of 10.96 in Pyraminx and 2:15.51 in the 5x5x5 Cube. Gavin Leifker chopped 37 percent off their 3x3x3 Cube best with a 15.95-second solve, alongside a first 5x5x5 Cube attempt of 2:32.58. Marcus Howard entered their first speed cubing event and recorded a first Pyraminx solve of 8.87 seconds, a Skewb mark of 10.33 seconds, and a Megaminx time of 2:24.46 across six events. Keaton Robert Wiltse also took on six events in their first tournament, recording initial marks of 17.16 seconds in 3x3x3 Cube, 2:35.84 in Megaminx, and 3:59.15 in the 5x5x5 Cube.

A flurry of benchmark results highlighted the preliminary stages of the 2x2x2 Cube, where competitors logged vital times toward their overall profiles. Connor Lyons posted a 5.71 single and a 6.24 average, while Nathan Kerlen recorded a 5.14 single and 6.15 average. Joel V. Stratemeyer produced a 4.18 single and 6.47 average, and Kyler Hague registered a 5.08 single with a 6.60 average. Further down the field, Hailey Doyle, Zachary Silver, Parker J. Bailey, George Hyland, and Albert Wang all established new marks on the board, demonstrating depth across the entire roster.

The action at KC Krazy Cubing Winter 2023 wrapped up having delivered standout performances across all six categories. Competitors from the United States collected 17 podium places while Canada earned one, reflecting both local dedication and strong regional skill. With solid times recorded across twelve full rounds, the event underlined the technical mastery of its winners and provided a productive test of skill for the broader community as they prepare for the demands of the ongoing speedcubing calendar.